Occupation: I am a third grade teacher in Ridgefield at Branchville Elementary School. This is my 14th year teaching third grade, and I have been classroom teaching for 16 years. I taught in Bridgeport for my first two years, after I graduated from college. I always wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. Like a lot of people, I had a few teachers that really reached me when I was in elementary school. One was Mrs Rydaleck - she was my second grade teacher, and we did a project about conserving electricity. We made up a song and our class ended up winning a contest. We were on the radio, and they recorded us singing - that was really fun. Then in fifth grade, I had a teacher, Mrs Ebiling, who was able to reach me in a way that I had never found before. I loved her class so much that I did not want to go to middle school; I wanted to stay with her. It was then that I started considering becoming an elementary school teacher.

Family: I have two children; Madison is 9, and William just turned 6. Madison is in fourth grade, and Will is in kindergarten at Sandy Hook. I met my husband, Bill, when I had just turned 21 and he had just turned 22. So, we have been together for 19 years and married for 11 years this July.

Pets: We have two cats; I adopted Bailey 13 years ago, and Dori adopted us 10 years ago. Bailey is 13 years old, and her white paws have never been outside. Dori was a homeless cat in Bridgeport that adopted Billy, and he brought her home. We adopted our dog, Juno, from TLC Sweet Soul's Rescue about a year and a half ago.

How long have you lived in Newtown? Bill and I bought our house in 2004, so 12 years now. We liked that the properties were large and affordable. We both grew up in Fairfield where the properties are really close together. We loved the space here.

What do you like to do in your free time? What free time? When I do have spare time, I love to cook and experiment with recipes. I like it even more now that my daughter likes to cook with me. I do love to read when I have time. I also love nature, hiking and taking walks with the kids and our dog.

Do you have a favorite book? I don't know if I have a favorite book. I love all different kinds of genres. I read a lot of educational books, so when I have a chance to read for pleasure I usually lean toward fiction and historical fiction. I really like series and trilogy books. I'll read things like James Patterson, John Grisham and Nora Roberts trilogies.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Well, we love to camp. We camp every year in the Hudson Valley. We camp in the same campground my husband went to growing up, when he was a kid. So, it has been a family destination for about 40 years with his family. When we are there, I like to ride bikes with the kids, we like to swim, and sit by the campfire and roast marshmallows.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I really love the community feel. We bought the house and the neighbors came over right away to introduce themselves, and everybody we met made us feel welcome. We really liked the schools, too. So, that was a pull for us.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My kids: Maddie and Will. My perspective on the world changed when I had Madison. Seeing the world through their eyes has been a really fulfilling, wonderful experience for me.

If you could spend a day with anyone, who would you choose? My Dad. We lost him April 18 of this year. So, just to be able to spend one more day with him and tell him how much I loved him. I would tell him how much he influenced my life, and the success that I have found in life and the family that I am raising is a large part of how he raised me.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Once my kids go to bed, I like to sneak a little ice cream. My favorite flavor of ice cream is vanilla. Also, I do occasionally find myself on Facebook far too much - usually bragging about my kids!